CHAPTER 29
I’m led out of the hospital toward a black SUV. I don’t know if I’m imagining things or not, but I think I can hear Rusty barking in the distance.
“Thank you, buddy, for everything” I whisper as a man in uniform shoves me into the backseat.
I don’t know why, but as we start our drive, I think about the road trips we used to take, Dad, my sister Alayna, and me. There was this Christian camp on the Oregon coast that hosted a family retreat every fourth of July. My happy memories quickly turn maudlin as I think about my future. Eight Independence Days trapped here in North Korea. Somehow I doubt there’ll be fireworks.
Those summer camps were always exciting. Most of the time, Dad was too busy with work to be bothered with things like vacations. Even the road trip was nice. Mayb
